"I’ve done nothing wrong," director Michel Hazanavicius told CNN when asked his reaction to Kim Novak's recent comments lambasting The Artist for using the Vertigo love theme. "I used music from another movie, but it’s not illegal. We paid for that, we asked for that and we had the permission to do it. For me there is no real controversy...I feel sorry for her, but there’s a lot of movies with music from other movies, directors do that all the time and I’m not sure it’s a big deal." [CNN]

While she overplayed her hand, Novak is hinting at truthiness here. It doesn't violate Vertigo; it violates The Artist. You have to watch out what existing songs you use. If people recognize the song, then they're taken right out of the movie. You wouldn't put the theme from Star Wars in a film, would you? It was lazy to put this in The Artist.

For the post above and the post below: using a famous theme song as a bit of comedy is pretty much the exact opposite of using the famous theme song in pretty similar circumstances. We do understand that, right?

Kevyb is correct; and so too is Ms Novak; but so to is Mr H; each is correct. Star Wars' theme was unforgettable. So too was Vertigo's, for those of us mature enough to have it hard-wired into our recollection. And that is why it was LAZY, Mr.H., because I enjoyed 'The Artist' until I 'lost the plot' when that 'homage'/'stolen' Music took me away to another place and another time. Newbies wouldn't know or care, but I loved Hitchcock and his use of music. Ave Atque ! JD

Hazanavicius's film is his love letter to cinema and "Vertigo" is part of cinematic history, and probably very dear to him. How many times has Herrmann's "Psycho" theme played in movies? You didn't see this outcry when Eddie Murphy's "Daddy Daycare" used it. There's plenty of more important issues going on in the world to be pissed off about doncha think?